Chapter 14 - Emma stared at Drea.“What did you say?”
Drea looked at Caleb.
“The boy isn't your second child.”
Calla frowned.
“Then who is he?”
Drea hesitated.
“Your brother.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
Drea explained.
Years earlier, Daniel's father had discovered that Emma was pregnant with twins.
But one baby was born first.
A boy.
The second child came hours later.
A girl.
Afterward, another woman arrived at the hospital.
Emma's mother.
She had known the family had planned to use the children to control the inheritance.
So she made a deal.
She would take one child.
Hide her.
Protect her.
But the deal collapsed.
Vivian intervened.
Drea was brought in.
Calla remained with Daniel.
Caleb disappeared.
And the second girl was registered under another identity.
Lila.
But there was still another child.
The child nobody had known about.
The child removed before registration.
Drea finally said the name.
“Evelyn.”
Emma's mother had given birth to another daughter years earlier.
A child kept secret from everyone.
But Evelyn had no connection to the inheritance.
So why was she involved?
Because she was the only person who had access to the hidden trust.
Daniel looked confused.
“How?”
“She was named in the original will.”
Drea pulled a document from her bag.
The original inheritance agreement.
Three children were listed.
Calla.
Caleb.
Evelyn.
Lila did not appear.
Daniel read the document.
Then stared at the signature.
His father's signature.
But beneath it was another signature.
Emma's mother.
“You knew,” Daniel said.
Drea nodded.
“I learned the truth six months ago.”
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“I tried.”
“Bullshit.”
“I was threatened.”
“By Vivian?”
“No.”
Drea looked at Emma.
“By Evelyn.”
Emma went pale.
“She was supposed to be missing.”
“She wasn't.”
Drea pulled out a photograph.
A young woman standing outside a hospital.
Same eyes as Emma.
Same dark hair.
Daniel stared.
“That's your mother.”
Emma nodded.
“She looks exactly like she did when she was young.”
Drea shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed to the photograph.
“That was taken last month.”
Emma stopped breathing.
Her mother was alive.
But why had she stayed hidden?
Why had she taken Evelyn?
Why had she allowed Emma to disappear?
And why had Vivian followed her?
Then the room filled with a familiar sound.
Knock.
Knock.
Calla turned.
The basement wall had a small door.
Nobody had noticed it before.
Two knocks came from inside.
Emma walked toward it.
Daniel grabbed her.
“Wait.”
Another two knocks.
Emma whispered:
“That's my mother.”
She opened the door.
A narrow staircase led upward.
At the top stood an elderly woman.
Silver hair.
Blue eyes.
A black coat.
In her hand was a silver ring with a black stone.
The same ring.
Emma froze.
“Mom?”
The woman looked at her.
“I am sorry.”
Emma began to cry.
“You let them take me.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
Her mother looked at Calla.
Then at Caleb.
Then at Drea.
Finally, she said:
“Vivian is not the enemy.”
Everyone stared.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then who is?”
The old woman looked toward the darkness behind them.
And whispered:
“The person who has been controlling every one of us.”
A woman's voice answered from the stairwell.
“You finally figured it out.”
Vivian appeared.
She held a gun.
But she wasn't aiming at Daniel.
She aimed at Drea.
Then another person stepped from behind her.
A young woman.
Dark hair.
Same eyes as Calla.
Calla stared.
Lila.
Except Lila was crying.
And beside her stood another girl.
Identical.
Three sisters.
Calla.
Lila.
And Evelyn.
Emma looked at all three.
Then whispered:
“There were never three children.”
May you like
The room went silent.
“There were four.”
